teafton



4 Sheete-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

' W. G. TRAPTON.

WINDMILL.

Patented May l2, 1896.

W. G. TRAFTON.

4 sheets-sheet 2.

WINDMILL.

(No Model.)

No. 559,876. Patented May 12, 1896.

i my@ a ne? [Hilf (No Model.)` 4 Smets-Sheet 3.

vW. G. TRAFTON.

WINDMILL.. No. 559,876. Patented May 12, H396.

Z/iv'fzzeffef:

mf w e' ANUREN l GIMMIMUTU-UWDAWASHINETDKDL (No Model.) 4 Sheets-sheet 4.

W. G. TRAPTON.

WINDMILL.

No."559,87 6. Patented May l2, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.za

VILLIAM G. TRAFTON, OF FAIRFAX, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF TlVO-THRDS TO LUTHER NICHOLS AND ALBERT L. HORNBURG, OF SAME PLACE.

WINDMILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,876, dated May 12, 1896.

Application tiled March 30 l 8 9 5 To all whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, W'ILLIAM G. Tnnn'roiv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairfax, in the county of Renville and State of Minnesota, have invented eert-ain new and useful Improvements in lVindinills and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to win dmills, and has for its object to provide an improved mechanism for imparting motion to the plunger from the mill-shaft and to provide an irnproved form of governor for the wings.

To these ends my invention consists inthe novel features of construction hereinafter described, and defined in the claim.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention, wherein, like letters referring to like parts throughout the several views- Figure l is a sectional elevation of my improved mill with some parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with some parts removed and others broken away. Fig. f3 isa view similar to Fig. 2 with additional parts removed and others broken away and with the governor parts in an opposite extreme position. Fig. i is a rear elevation of the mill with some parts ,broken away and others shown in section, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in perspective and partly `in section for showin g the mounting of the millsha'ft and plunger and the means for imparting motion from the shaft to the plunger. Fig. (J is a detail in plan view, showing the crankpin and roller and its hearings; and Figs. 7 and S are perspective views with some parts broken away and some parts in section, illustrating a modiiication in the governor and an additional device `for cooperation with the crank-pin and plunger.

a represents the tower-legs, which have secured to the upper ends thereof the basecasting h. On the said basecasting l) is mounted the combined turn-table and hearing-yoke c e c2, with roller-bearings h interposed between the base and the turn-table castings and working in a suitable circular groove or runway, formed one-half in each ot Serial No. 543,808. (No model.)

the said castings. Keepers h2 engage the outer flange of the turn-table c and are bolted to the base-casting b for securing the turn-table and mill in working position on the tower. The bearing-yoke for the mill-shaft f and the plunger g is formed in the two sections c c2, which when bolted together form an elliptical yoke with its longitudinal axis in the line of the plunger-axis and its transverse axis in the line of the axis of the mill-shaft. The two half-sections of the yoke are provided with'half-looxes at their meeting points,which when bolted together forni the hearings for the mill shaft f. The plunger g works through the upper and lower arches of the bearing-yoke and is provided with a transverse slot or eamway g and with an axial slot g2, which slots g' and g2 are at right angles to each other and open into or cross each other, as best shown in Fig. 5. As shown, the said slots g and g2 are formed in an enlarged or expanded portion gE of the plunger in the shape of a disk; but it will be understood that the said slots g and (i might he otherwise formed as lon g as they bear the relation to each other above noted. The mill-shaitf is shown as provided with a crank-disk f alongside of the plnn ger-disk g3, which crankdisk f is provided with a lateral projection fzfi, which works in the transverse slot or camway g of the plunger-disk g3 for iinparting motion thereto. The said lateral proj ection of the crank-disk j" is composed of the pin proper, f2, and a roller f3, with ball-bearings f4 between the roller and the pin proper, and a washer f5, held in place by a cap-screw f, all as shown in Fig. (i. `With this construction it is obvious that the rotary motion of the mill-shaft f will be converted into a reciprocating motion on the plunger g. lnasmuch as the shaft f passes through the axial slot g2 of the plunger the said slot g2 will permit the motion of the plunger without interference from the shaft, and at the same time the shaft may be made to cooperate with the plunger-passages in the bearing-yoke as a guide to insure the axial motion of the plunger. The axial slot g2 is of less width than the transverse cam-slot g, and hence the pi nroller f3 will freely pass the axial slot without dropping into the saine under the action IOO thereto, is of the ordinary construction.

of the crank-disk f. A crank-arm might be substituted for the crank-diskf; but the disk is preferable, because it will cooperate with the plunger-disk gato prevent the turning of the plunger. For the same purpose the plunger-stems are of angular form in cross-section and work thro ugh passages in the yoke,which are of corresponding shape.

A tail-board 7L, of the ordinary or any suitable form, is made fast to the lower section c of the bearing-yoke c' c2 and is upheld at its outer end by suitable truss-rods 7L', passing over the top of the bearing-yoke c' c2 and secured to the wind side of the same. The wheel-head 7c, with its radial arms 7c iixed The win gs 7a2 have cross-bars 7a3 pivoted to lugs 7a4 on the ends of adjacent members of said arms 7c', and may be rocked on their pivots lengthwise of the shaft f by means of bellcrank levers a5, having their angles or elbows pivoted to the head 76 and their outer ends connected to radial pieces k6 of the wings by means of links k7. The radial pieces 7c connect the cross-bars 7c3 and lower end crossbars 7e3 et' said wings On the shaft f is mounted a governor-sleeve p, to which the lower arms of the bell-crank levers 7c5 are connected by links 7d. The sleeve p is embraced by a collar p', to which are attached the outer ends of a pair of toggle-levers p2. The inner ends of said togglelevers p2 are pivoted to the tail-board side of the bearing-yoke c c2, as best shown in Fig. 3. The outer arms of the toggle-levers p2 are provided with angular lugs p3, which are connected by a tension-springp, which tends to pull the said toggle-levers p2 together or to spread the same lengthwise of the millshaft and force the sleeve p outward, and through the bell-cranks 705 and their connections 767 799 to throw the wings 7e2 into the wind; but when the pressure from the wind becomes excessive or suftieient to overcome the tension of the spring the wings will be rocked on their pivots, so as to assume positions more nearly in line with the mill-shaft and expose less surface to the action of the wind, or, otherwise stated, the said wings will be moved more or less out of the wind or into the Wind, as may be required for the safety or proper action of the wheel. The togglelevers 192 are also connected by a cross-toggle p, as shown best in Figs. 3 and 4L, which toggle p5 has attached thereto a connection p, united at its lower end to a sleeve p7, mounted on the under section of the plunger-rod g. The sleeve p7 is shouldered at its lower end and works through a pivoted lever p3, which has attached to its free end a pull-rope or other connection p, extending Vto withinv reach of an operator on the ground. By the said connections, controllable from the pullrope p9, the governor-toggles p2 may be spread against the tension of the spring p4 for throwing the wings into an idle orinoperative position approximately parallel with the millshaft, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. For holding the wings out of action, as just described, it is necessary of course to pull down the connection p and make the same fast at its lower end in any suitable way. The plunger g g3, so far considered, is shown as connected to the lower plunger section or bar g4 by a swivel-head g5 in the usual way.

From the foregoing description it must be obvious that my improved mill is of extremely simple construction, that the win gs are under the control of an automatic governor, which has but few parts and is reliable in its action, and that the motion from the mill-shaft is imparted to the plunger by a converting device, which insures the true axial movement of the plunger and with the minimum of friction. A rest p10 underlies the governortoggles p2 and serves to prevent the same from being 'sprung transversely of their axes under the action of the cross-toggle p5 and the hand connections therefrom.

The crank-disk f has pin holes or seats f7 at dierent radial distances from the center of the shaft f, as shown in Fig. 4, 'for permitting the crank-pin to be set to give any desired throw on the plunger g.

Referring now to the modilications shown in Figs. 7 and 8, one of the principal l'eatures of addition is in the nature of a bridge fr for assisting the crank-pin roller f3 to pass the upper section of the longitudinal slot g2 in the plunger. The said bridge 1' is carried on the lower end of a rod o" r2, which is mounted in the plunger-disk g3, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and is held to reciprocate therewith by pin-collars r3. The said rod has its upper section r2 flattened out and twisted on itself to form a spiral cam, which is engaged by a pair of rollers 0M, mounted on studs r1, ixed to the upper yoke-section c2 and having their outer ends connected by a keeper The bridge r works in a seat 0", cut out from the body of the plunger-disk g3. In virtue of this construction the bridge r will be held in position to span the upper section of the slot g2, as shown in Fig. 7, under the coperation of the bar-section r2 and the rollers '23% at the time when the roller f3 on the crankpin passes the slot g2. Hence the said crankpin roller will have a continuous bearing-surface on the plunger-disk when crossing the the said slot g2. This prevents the plunger from dropping on the crank-pin roller when the roller is in line with the said slot g2, and thereby insures a smooth and even action of the device for converting the 'rotary motion of the shaftf and the crank-disk f into a reciprocating motion on the plunger g g3. On the downstr'oke of the plunger the parts will assume the positions shown in Fig. 8, and the bridge will be thrown into its open position under the cooperation of the parts r2 and 73%, thereby permitting the shaft to enter the upper section of the slot g2, as is required to permit the downstroke of the said plunger. Such a bridge is not required for the lower IOO IIO

section of the slot g2, because the weight of the plunger g g3 and its load is always carried on the upper wall of the slot g and the upper surface of the crank-pin roller f3, and hence there is no tendency of the roller f3 to enter the lower section of the slot g2.A

The other feature illustrated in Figs. 7 and S, so far as different from the other views, relates to the governor. Instead of the toggle-levers and the centrifugal spring I iix to the lug-disk of the sleeve p a set of rods s,

which extend parallel with the mill-shaft f outward through the wheel-head k, and between the outer end heads or nuts s' of said rods s and the outer face of the wheel-head' are mounted springs s2, which tend to pull thesleeve p outward and through the lever connections h5 k7 k to throw the wings k2 into the wind. To the collar p on the sleeve p is fixed the outer ends of a forked link or bar s3. The inner end of the bar 33 is pivotally connected to the upper end of a bell-crank lever si. This bell-crank lever s* is pivoted at its elbow to the lower section c of the bearingyoke, as shown at 35, and the lower arm of the said bell-crank s"- is pivotally connected by link s to the sleeve 13" on the lower parts of the plunger g, which is subject to the lever ps and the hand connections p9, as shown in the other views. It is obvious that this form of governor' will act in the same way as the other, while at the same time it is of a cheaper and more durable construction.

It may be added that the construction shown in Figs. '7 and S is the preferred forni of my device as developed from actual working experience with the machine.

It will of course be understood that minor changes might be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

'What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

In a windmill, the combination with a plunger having transverse and arial slots, crossing each other, of a rotary shaft passing through said axial slot, a crank arm or disk on said shaft, having a lateral projection working in said transverse slot, the pivcted bridge-lever for opening andclosing the entrance to the upper section of said axial slot, the torsion-rod, carried by said plunger, secured to said bridge-lever, and having its flattened stern portion twisted to form a torsional cam, and a iixed guide through which said torsional cam works, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

'WILLIAM G. TR-AFTON.

Witnesses L. T. GRADY, A. E. CARVER. 

